Measure of a Man
by My Serenity
Summary: This is how I would like to see the second season go. Trust me this will be a VeronicaLogan story.
1. Measure of a Man

Okay this is my first Veronica Mars story, so please be kind. This will turn more LoVe as the story continues. Please review, I love feed back and I want to know if I should continue. Thanks much.

Disclaimer: I don't own Veronica Mars but then you all knew that.

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Measure of a Man

_You've reached Logan, and here's your inspirational message for the day,_ _' The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort or convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy.' Martin Luther King Jr."_

Veronica felt the obligatory eye roll come even before she the rest of the quote spurted forth from her phone. That's probably the most ironic quote she's heard from him yet. Does he pay attention to the quotes he so thoughtfully puts on his voice mail or does he just spew the words from some Inspirational Quote website. Or maybe, and this was probably the truth, he knew exactly what the quote meant and he just doesn't think very much of himself. He always had that self loathing attitude simmering on the back burner since Lily was murdered. Of course it was only heightened by his father killing his first love and me breaking his heart. Veronica was so wrapped up in her thoughts about Logan that she didn't realize the beep had come and gone to signal that she could leave a message for him.

"Uh... Logan... I..." But before she could even leave a message the driver side door of the car she was sitting in, opened and in slide Duncan Kane. The solid, sort of stable man (well more stable at the moment then Logan) that Veronica thought she needed in her life at the time.

He looked at her with a smile. "Who was on the phone?" He held a tub of popcorn and an extra-large Pepsi. After handing her the popcorn he slammed the car door shut and looked at the Drive-in screen that still wasn't showing the movie.

She gave him a small, halfhearted smile. "Just checking in with my dad. You know how he worries." It was a lie, and a bad one, but he was so trusting he didn't suspect. Perhaps that's why she felt even more guilty then usual about those little white lies she was so good at telling. She brushed the guilt out of her mind and looked down at the popcorn. She looked back up at him giving him her full radiant smile. "Why, Duncan Kane, I do believe you know the way to a girls heart, extra butter and a drink to go with."

And just at that moment the opening credits to the movie started. Veronica leaned over and kissed her boyfriend gently on the lips. She really did care about him, she wasn't sure if it was love, but she did care about him. He gave her a 'what was that for' look. She simply smiled and the leaned into his arms making herself comfortable as her eyes went back to the screen. "Thank you for taking me out and getting my mind off... things. That's what that kiss was for." Things in this instance being the bus crash and losing several of her classmates, that it was her fault in a manner of speaking. And he also got her thoughts off of Logan, but she was pretty sure Duncan was pretty clueless about that last part.

Why was she thinking about Logan again anyways, she thought she stopped that after she picked things up again with Duncan? She was convinced that it was only because she was worried about him after she found out he was sleeping with Kendall Casablancas. She wasn't jealous, that much was for certain, she was just worried about what Mr. Casablancas would do to him, that was all. What was he doing with someone her age anyways? Okay that was a stupid question, teenage boy, drop dead gorgeous Laker Girl, it was obvious. But he was playing with fire, and this self-destructive behavior of his was worrying her.

The annoying electronic ring tone of Veronica's phone pierced her thoughts of Logan. She set the tub of popcorn down and leaned to slide the phone out of her messenger bag. It took her several seconds to find it. Finally her hand emerged victorious and she looked toDuncan and gave him a small smile and the 'I'm sorry' look.

"You know those things aren't allowed in theaters, they disturb the other movie goers." She gave her a small all-knowing smirk.

"Well, then it's a good thing we're at a drive-in." She matched his smirk with a grin. "But really, I should take this. It could be my dad. We don't want him getting worried and tracking my cell phone, now do we?"

"Go, take it, you'll just have to make it up to management later on." He gave her his best rakish smile.

She raised an eyebrow in an 'oh really' manner then looked at the caller id of her phone. Her playful mood vanished and the smile left her face when she saw the name that flashed on the screen._ Logan._ God, was he psychic, did he know she was thinking about him at that exact moment? Of course he was probably just returning her call. But she hadn't really left a message for him to respond to. She hadn't even been expecting him to call back. She was quite used to his cold shoulder attitude with a few lapses to make snide comments about her and Duncan. And that one tender moment where he told her he missed her. Those words touched her. She didn't expect another one of those any time soon. So she knew that answering this phone call would not be a pleasant experience.

"Well, are you going to answer it?" Duncan looked over at her expectantly.

She put on a fake smile that she knew wouldn't fool anyone. "Nope, it's not anyone important."

"Veronica who are you fooling, I know you better then that." He reached for the phone. At first Veronica was a bit worried to show it to him. But then she figured that a fight over letting him see who was only the other line would only make him more suspicious. She let him take the phone easily out of her hands. He looked at the caller id, "Logan?" He looked at her questioningly. She simply nodded her head. "Expecting this call?"

"No," which was half true. "I'm not sure what he wants. And right now it's not important. Probably anything he has to say would only ruin our date."

"Are you sure you don't want to answer this."

"I'm sure. Besides I'm sure it's too late, he's already probably been directed to voice mail. If it's important he'll leave a message. All I want to concentrate on right now is you."

Duncan gave her a small smile after all he felt he won another little piece of Veronica's heart from Logan, now that she choose to ignore the phone call. "That's what I like to hear."

She gave him another smile and took the phone back from him, slipping it back into her bag. She heard the tiny beep alerting her that she had missed a call and that a voice mail had been left. She turned that particular feature off and then settled back into Duncan's arms. She looked back up at the movie screen and absentmindedly took a handful of popcorn. And for a couple of moments it worked, her mind was kept busy so that no thought of Logan entered. But of course it was only for a few moments and he was at the forefront again. What message had he left her? Her eyes darted from the screen to her bag and she squirmed in Duncan's arms uncomfortably.

Duncan stiffened slightly, he knew exactly what or who rather her thoughts were on. He wasn't worried, he knew she was his girl. But he also knew there was that history that Logan and her would share and it drove him nuts. He cleared his throat as she moved again, trying to make herself more comfortable. "You still care about him, don't you?"

His tone wasn't confrontational or accusing, it was just a simple question and the way he asked it touched her. She sat up straight and turned to look at him, carefully for a moment. "Honestly?" He nodded his head and she went on. "Yes, I do. He meant a lot to me at one time and when you care about someone that much you can't really forget feelings like those. It was the same way I felt about you when... well you know."

Duncan just nodded his head as a wave of guilt over how he had ended things last time. He didn't handle the whole situation in the best way.

"I mean we were pretty intense. And then you know before when... Lilly was still alive... we were friends then too." She shrugged her shoulders and laughed a little. "Logan and I... well...yeah, it was a strange relationship."

Duncan gave her a small smile. "But not ours. Lilly always said we were made for each other." He leaned forward and kissed her lips gently. Then pulled away again. "Besides, I know that you're my girl."

Veronica smiled a little to reassure him. But in her own mind thoughts were flashing through her brain. Were we really meant for each other? Was she really his girl, heart and soul? She quickly shut those doubts out of her mind. She was in love with Duncan even if she never voiced how she felt. But if she loved Duncan, why didn't she feel that excitement she felt when Logan was the one who touched her lips. Why didn't Duncan leave her breathless? Was it because she already felt these things when she dated Duncan the first time around and she was just used to him? That had to be it.

She leaned forward, kissing Duncan on the lips with a little more passion and he accepted her kiss. He leaned back pulling her with him. The movie was now all but forgotten as they settled into what most teenage couples did at drive-ins. She showered his lips with kisses with such an urgency that it frightened her. It was almost as if she thought that if she could just continue kissing him all unwanted thoughts of Logan would just disappear.


	2. Under My Skin

Alright guys, I'm sorry I didn't get this up sooner. I got a little writers block and I'm afraid it's still not over. But I decided to go ahead and post this so I wouldn't keep you guys waiting. Thanks for the reviews guys! I'm glad you like it so far. And thanks to those of you who pointed out my mistake. I'm such a klutz and a little embarrassed. I'll chalk it up to my belief that it should be Veronica and Logan, not Veronica and Duncan. Well, I hope you enjoy.

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Under My Skin

Logan heard the muffled ring of his cell phone. His mind was hazy from the alcohol, me must have drunk more then his usual amount of vodka this evening. What he kept in his flask had been gone hours ago and half of the fresh bottle he had procured from the cabinet had been slowly diminishing since and he was far from done with his liquid dinner. There it was again, that annoying noise. What the hell was it? Ah, yes his cell phone, his connection to the world of the living. Now where was it?

He tried to follow the sound to the source but that was proving to be a bit difficult. God, he should really change that ring tone, the sound was grating on his last nerve. But that was besides the point at the moment. Right now he was on a mission, if only to shut the damn machine off. Then, just as suddenly as the phone started to ring, it had stopped. Then the even more annoying beep that signaled the fact that he missed the call. He shoved various pillows off of his couch as well as the cushions themselves. Ah ha! There it was, the source of his annoyance. He grabbed the phone quickly and looked at the screen. And there it was, the last name he expected to see on his phone. _Veronica._

That single word brought up a whole slew of mixed feelings and memories. She was the girl he could've loved. Hell, he probably did love her, but he didn't think about that particular problem all that much. There was really no need, she didn't return the sentiments and therefore in her eyes, his feelings were moot. That hurt him more then he cared to admit, hence the spike in booze and the oh so tawdry affair with Mrs. Casablancas. At least with her he didn't have the chance of getting burned like he did with Miss Mars. It was all about the sex with Kendal, his very own Mrs. Robinson. But even she and Vodka couldn't hide all the ghosts of Veronica. And pretty much any memory, good or bad, that made its way into his mind always brought these particular emotions into play, and the love and hurt almost always made him angry. And seeing her name on that caller ID screen was no exception.

He slide down to the floor and leaned back against couch which was still in disarray. He picked up the bottle of vodka and lifted it to his lips. He took only a moments pause and tilted back his head and took another swig. He looked back, blurry eyed to the phone. So the real-life Nancy Drew lowered herself to his level to leave a voice mail. This ought to be interesting. Maybe the intrepid detective had a new crime that Logan needed to be accused of. He punched the right buttons that would open his voice mail, and to his surprise he got it right on the first try. Maybe he wasn't as drunk as he thought. After he took care of this business he would have to take care of that.

The message wasn't long and contained nothing except for her voice. And annoyance of annoyances her voice still got to him. The tingle of goose bumps lingered for a few seconds before the anger came back. Was that Duncan he heard in the background? He laughed mirthlessly. Of course it was, the two of them were now attached at the hip. Such a cute couple they made, too. Apparently, the object of Veronica's affections had interrupted the girls thoughts and caught her off guard. Could it be that Veronica was keeping this little phone call to Logan a secret from her prince charming?

For the briefest of moments he entertained the thought that she was calling him out of genuine care and concern for him. That she returned just a tiny bit of the affections that he had for her. But he took another sip of the vodka and that small flame of hope was extinguished. Of course that was wishful thinking on his part. Why have the scarred, screwed-up, son of a psychopath when you can have the nearly perfect Duncan Kane? Besides hadn't she made it clear that her feelings for him waived quite frequently and she didn't trust him in the least, even though he would die before he let anything happen to that girl. Then just when he was feeling his lowest and his only shred of hope in his bleak life drove that last nail in the coffin when she broke up with him. She hadn't even looked back. It was over, it was as simple as that and now all Logan had to do was to get over her. But how does one get over Veronica Mars?

Well, first things first, he looked to his phone, he lifted his finger and forcefully pushed the numbers to her cell phone. He put on his best smirk, the least he could do was call and interrupt her date. Of course he was directed to her voice mail, oh well what he had to say could easily be said there as well as if he was talking directly to her.

He waited, patiently for the beep, after he was done with this unpleasantness he could go back to drinking himself into oblivion. Finally there it was, the sound he was waiting for, "Ah, Veronica Mars," He put on that sarcastic tone that he pretty much perfected, "So good to hear from you again. I'd ask how your father is, but we all know how he feels about me. So did you call to catch up on old times? Or was there..."

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"_...an actual reason you called? Because I need to know if I should hold my breath waiting for you to call me again. I mean, I know you must be oh so busy with your Duncan. Tell me how is the old boy doing? Was that him I heard in the background of message you left me. Silly me, of course it was, Neptune High's favorite couple can't spend a second apart. You'll have to let me know if he figured out how to do 'it' right."_ He of course was referring to the time when he caught her coming out of Duncan's hotel room on the night she considered her first time. _"But really Veronica you mustn't call me anymore, Kendal is beginning to get a little jealous. Besides the sound of your voice simply aggravates me Veronica. Now don't force me to change all my phone numbers._" There was a small pause before he continued. And for the briefest of moments the real Logan came forward. _"God, Ronnie... Don't you know what you're doing to me? Just leave me alone. Why did you have to get under my skin?"_

That was the third time Veronica played the message. Duncan had dropped her off about a half hour ago and pretty much the first thing she did when she stepped through her apartment door was listen to that voice mail. That minute and a half pretty much led her through an emotional roller coaster. For pretty much that whole first part there was anger. How dare he mention that night at Duncan's, he had no right. It was a beautiful night, even if there was a little awkwardness, but it was her first time for all intents and purposes. Even if there was that little stab of what felt like betrayal when he walked out of a hotel suit of his own. Then she was disgusted at the sound of that... that woman's name. Again she reminded herself she wasn't jealous of Kendal, just appalled, she was after all a married woman. And while she was listening to the message the first time, she had no intention of ever talking to him again, let alone calling him.

And just when she thought his message was over the soft voice he hardly ever used for fear of showing his vulnerable side came through the phone to her ear. The voice he used when he confessed about the night of Shelley Pomroy's party, when he told her all he wanted to do was protect her. This was the Logan who was devastated about his mother's suicide. This was the Logan she missed. The one that was replaced by the self-destructive boy she tried to love. The one she thought was gone for good, but here he was if only for the briefest of seconds. Had she given up on him too soon? And here is where the confusion came in.

She listened to that phone call three times. Every time she listened there was always that hurt and anger at the beginning. She once heard that the people you love could hurt you the most. She found that was true when Duncan broke up with her the first time. And then again when her mom left when she needed her the most after Lily died and then when she lied about drinking and left again taking $50,000 with her. And now after listening to Logan's message again and again his words still cut her. Did that mean she loved him? And even for those few seconds when the old Logan emerged it seemed as if every thing she felt for him came rushing back. She didn't know if it was the memories of these feelings that came to her of if they were the genuine things.

Then there was Duncan and that didn't make things any easier. She loved Duncan, of that she was certain. He was the person that she went to when she realized she was the reason for the bus crash. And Logan had been right there, she could've turned to him for comfort. But then again to be fair, they weren't on the best of terms either. Anyways, Duncan had been there for her, he was her rock. Wasn't he the only one she could count on beside Wallace and her dad. Then again, Logan had come through for her in the past too.

She let out a frustrated noise and then murmured and then under her breath, "Damn you Logan for complicating things." She shouldn't be surprised, he did that to her often. There was only one thing she could do. And if she wanted things to be alright with Duncan she had to hash things out with Logan tonight.

She glanced at her watch and simply shrugged her shoulders. She knew it was late, but Logan was somewhat of a night owl. She grabbed her car keys. Thank god her dad was out town at the moment or she would've never left the front door again. She rushed out of the apartment and down the stairs and to her car. She slid in the drivers side and slammed her car door shut. Within seconds she was on the road, ready to face her ex-boyfriend.

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Well that's it for now. Please review. I'll get another chapter up soon I hope! 


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